That lacing tutorial is very handy indeed. I scored a 250yd roll off of eBay for about $10 some years ago. I normally use it like you would a wire-tie. I don't do a full length lace - I haven't needed to as yet. Because it's waxed, a double granny knot is sufficient to keep it in place. If you look at the wiring of the panels I've built for the F-15, you can see what I mean. The switch panel for the 109F/X was done the same way.

g.

So Gene how much would you charge someone to wire up a board and do a lacing harness??? I just don't want to make time to do something like that...hahaha

Seriously though you guys have made pits that inspire us other nut jobs but you also blow us out of the water.

Reschke, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

The only advantage we've got is that we've been nut jobs longer than you.
Keep working at it long enough and you too can get funny looks from people that Don't Get It(tm).

Using lacing tape is cheaper in the long run than using nylon wire ties and you don't have to worry about the lacing tape catching on anything like a wire tie "head" will.

g.

You think this is bad? You should see my tinfoil headgear collection. (They really are out there you know). :P

Well someone just posted this over on the Ace's High BBS in one of the threads there.

http://www.combatconsole.com/index.htm

This just might fit the bill for what I was wanting to do and would seem to work wonders for my console in front of me in my small pit I just started. Price is reasonable as well @ $129 USD for all three versions.

Hmm.....I can beat that price, and customize it for you too!

Hmm, 32 buttons, the microcontroller to handle them and all the wiring job. I don't think the margin would be very high, but I am sure you could come up with a more pleasant layout. But just considering the solder joints that's a couple of hours of work, stripping, tinning, soldering the wires and testing the whole.
I think you can get a much higher margin and a greater peace of mind if you were to make this thing as a kit.

TO be honest, Brandano is correct, I cannot make that for the price. It almost seems too good to be true. I was looking at the details of the combat console, all steel construction, etc. Nice.

I suppose they have the material in bulk and some jigs to get everything in the right shape. The front panels must be machine cut. the wiring must be the scan of an 8 * 4 grid, I imagine fed to a custom programmed microcontroller acting as an HID. key assignment will likely be in software via the drivers. Wire can be pre-stripped to proper lengths automatically. The price still seems low, I wonder how many of these you'd have to sell to break even. Still too much work for someone working alone, the cost of the man hours is too big.

Yep and I sent them an email yesterday asking for particulars such as; how does it connect to the computer? Any known issues with various Windows operating systems? etc...

I may buy one just to get the panel and the other parts.

I noticed that they also have panels that they cut out for instruments to be added into.

As for the work they have a waterjet machine for all the metal cuts and a press brake for the bending so while it takes some time you don't have as much clean up and reset time as you would with a CNC in a per piece setting.